How long are the queues at Gatwick?

August 23, 2006 7:53 AM

How long are the check-in/security queues at Gatwick Airport & Dublin airport now, BAA site seems to be down.... help Mefites? (MI)

I'm travelling to Dublin on a BA flight at 10.35am tomorrow. A previous Mefite poster travelling the day after the security scare said he was 4 hours checking in. It must have improved since then, but the BAA site seems to have crashed. Any ideas, tips etc.,?
I'm coming back at the awful hour of 8.30am Sun morning, so same question, how long at Dublin for check-in? Thanks

posted by Wilder to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

baa.com is up and running as far as I can tell

at least I hope so, I'm running it!
posted by hardcode at 8:01 AM on August 23, 2006 [1 favorite]

Thanks Hardcode, up to now I got a message no content availible on most of the pages I tried. Even now that I can get into the site, it can't answer my questions! I've input my flight destination and Flight code but the sites says no results. It also still recommends one hour for check-in for flights to Ireland and I'm sure that's not right. Hope some Mefites who travelled through Gatwick's North Terminal might tell me the real wait time with the new security features.
posted by Wilder at 8:24 AM on August 23, 2006

The current baa recommendation is to check with your airline for instructions. Gatwick website->Plan and Book Your Trip->Destinations and Airlines will give you details of airline contact details.
posted by hardcode at 8:33 AM on August 23, 2006

Again Hardcode, many thanks! I was on the phone to BA for nearly an hour and no luck ( they did admit their lines are very clogged up at the mo), so I rang the Gatwick Airport information line 0870 000 2468, waited for 6 (= any other enquires) and spoke to a HUMAN! I was so thrilled I nearly dropped the phone.
Apparently for ROI flights they are recommending 1hr and 1/2.
I'm so used to being able to find everything on the nets but today was a bust!

well it might be of use to other travellers, who knows.
posted by Wilder at 9:32 AM on August 23, 2006

Be careful flying through Gatwick...very...very careful. I flew through there Saturday, on my way to Amsterdam, and am still without out my check-in baggage. What's it been like 4 days?

No one can find the bag, best guess by BA is that it is in customs. They said they have over 10,000 bags stuck in Gatwick right now...
posted by unexpected at 10:47 AM on August 23, 2006

interesting observation. When we arrived back from Cancun on Saturday 14th August, we saw an amazing sight en route from one of the furthermost docking gates to the baggage hall. Out in the open, completely exposed to the elemetns what looked like 3 - 4 flights full of luggage on a pavement.
We were all wondering where they came from, I have never seen so many bags in the open air. This was 14th August nd the sight still stays with me.
posted by Wilder at 1:41 PM on August 23, 2006

FWIW, any time I've been to the airport here in Dublin the longest I've ever had to spend, from check-in to getting through security, is 20 minutes. And I've flown at various times of day.

If you want to err on the side of caution just multiply that figure by whatever factor you feel comfortable with, not forgetting to account for the minimum. (I tend to show up crazy early myself, because that's the kind of guy I am.)

Regarding getting there on time? It's awkward to get to Dublin Airport that early on a Sunday morning without a car or a taxi (as the Airlink buses don't run early enough) but it's not that far out of the city, so if you're staying central or on the Northside a taxi ride won't be enormously expensive.
posted by macdara at 3:27 PM on August 23, 2006

Thanks all,
got the info from Gatwick information and we got through in the normal time. My familyt who were flying out to Hamburg later in the day got into a very, very long queue through so things are still variable.
Arriving at Dublin was a pleasure, our luggage was there in less than 10 mins. And leaving Dublin Sunday morning was exactly as you describe Macdara. Thanks to all, an awesome weekend of radiohead and shopping!
posted by Wilder at 5:35 AM on September 1, 2006